FG to train local farmers on mechanised farming
The Federal Government is set to elevate the status of local farmers in the country from subsistence to a commercially oriented farming through its Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase I (ATASP-1) project. The country representative of the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Dr Hakeem Ajeigbe disclosed this at a 2-day zonal meeting of the Kano-Jigawa Staple […]
The Federal Government is set to elevate the status of local farmers in the country from subsistence to a commercially oriented farming through its Agricultural Transformation Agenda Support Programme Phase I (ATASP-1) project.
The country representative of the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Dr Hakeem Ajeigbe disclosed this at a 2-day zonal meeting of the Kano-Jigawa Staple Crop Processing Zone, held in Kano.
Dr Ajeigbe said the project is being funded by the Federal government through the African Development Bank (ADB), would be implemented in four selected Staple Crops Processing Zones across the country which include Adani-Omor (Enugu/Anambra), Bida-Badegi (Niger), Kebbi-Sokoto
and Kano-Jigawa zones.
"The project has two components. We have the Infrastructural development component and the outreach component. The first component focuses on rehabilitation of irrigation facilities, roads, schools, hospitals in the selected zones, while the outreach component will focus on production of Cassava, Rice and Sorghum," he added.
He said three reputable international research institutes were involved in the implementation of the outreach component of the project, saying "The IITA will lead the cassava component, African Rice the rice component and ICRISAT will lead the sorghum component," he said.
He added that the project would train farmers, especially youth and women, in mechanized farming and the use of chemicals and improved crops in order to re-orientate them to migrate from subsistence to commercial farming.
The ICRISAT country representative observed that mechanization was important, as according to him the issue of drudging was discouraging Nigerian youths and women from participating in farming.
In his remarks, the ICRISAT Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, Malam Shu’aibu Abubakar Ummah, said 63 communities from Kano-Jigawa zone would benefit from the project.
“Thirty three (33) communities were selected in Kano and 30 communities in Jigawa state for the project. Forty farmers from each of the 63 communities will receive 4kg of sorghum improved seed free of charge to cultivate 20 hectors of land in each community," he said.
He, however, said that major farmers would buy the seed and enjoy free training under the programme.